Wonders of Tibet

The political status of Tibet has been hotly contested since the middle of the 20th century, but there’s much more to this Asian plateau than governmental disputes. Check out photos of the incredible vistas, culture and architecture of the region often called the "rooftop of the world."

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Known as "The Rooftop of the World," Tibet is a mountainous, high-altitude region. Here, a snowy mountain is seen from the Qinghai-Tibet railway, heading towards Xinning, Tibet Autonomous Region, China. Because of the altitude, the train carries multiple oxygen sources.

Photo by China Photos/Getty Images

Nomads compete during a yak race held to mark the Shoton (yogurt) Festival in Lhasa, Tibet Autonomous Region, China. The Shoton Festival, celebrated for more than 300 years, falls in late June and early July in Tibetan calendar.

Photo by China Photos/Getty Images

Tibetan people row a cowskin raft on the Brahmaputra River in Renbu County of Tibet Autonomous Region, China. Cowskin is a traditional material used to make rafts for fishing and to cross rivers and lakes for the Tibetan people.

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Tourists take pictures of a rainbow by a highway in Lhasa, Tibet Autonomous Region, China. Nyingchi County is in central Tibet.

Photo by Zhang Ke/ChinaFotoPress/Getty Images

A view of the Jokhang Temple on March 24, 2009 in Lhasa of Tibet Autonomous Region, China. The temple is part of the Potala Palace and is a UNESCO World Heritage site.

Photo by Zhang Ke/ChinaFotoPress/Getty Images

A view of the Potala Palace in Lhasa, Tibet Autonomous Region, China. Traditionally, Lhasa is the seat of the Dalai Lama and the capital of Tibet.

Photo by Rob Loud/WireImage

The Dalai Lama speaks at the Tibet House's day of teachings at the Beacon Theatre in New York City. The Dalai Lama governed Tibet from Lhasa until fleeing to India, where he now leads the Tibetan government-in-exile.

This area of the northern Sichuan Basin and southern Qinghai-Tibet Plateau, seen from above, is located at an altitude of more than 5,000 meters 5,000 meters (16,404 feet). The region is where the Qiang people, an ethnic minority group, lives.

Photo by Feng Li/Getty Images

Clouds move over the Potala Palace in Lhasa, Tibet Autonomous Region, China. The Potala Palace was the chief residence of the Dalai Lama until the 14th Dalai Lama fled to Dharamsala, India, in 1959.

Photo by Feng Li/Getty Images

A Tibetan worker builds a house in Lhasa, Tibet Autonomous Region, China. Lhasa is the highest capital in the world.

Photo by Feng Li/Getty Images

Mountains are seen through clouds from a plane passing near Lhasa, Tibet Autonomous Region, China.

A Tibetan girl heats water using solar energy at her home in Lhasa, Tibet Autonomous Region, China. Traditionally, Lhasa is the seat of the Dalai Lama and the capital of Tibet, and is the highest capital in the world.